The One Knight Stand

.: Criminal Capers :.

28 | Criminal Capers

Blue stripped the Indigo Hornet with a wince and limped to the Raunchy Rooster. The hand pressed to her aching chest gave her the look of a mourning widow.

The pain is from getting the shit knocked out of me twenty times over, not...

...emotions.

(Is it wrong for me to ask how you're doing?)

The fountain where she and Bo had their spat gurgled across the cobblestone.

(I want to see you do well.)

Blue felt branded. As if his words were tattooed on her skin for all see.

Why'd she even care how he was doing? If he was happy? If he liked her as much as she despised him?

(Because I do give a damn!)

Blue hurried along, weary of the fountain's trickling judgement.

You always find a way to fuck things up, don'tcha Blue?

She felt ugly. Not tangibly ugly, but an ugly you sense more than observe.

A silent ugliness owed to baby shoes abandoned on the roadside or a girl walking home alone at night.

Ready for a million hour nap, the squire trudged up to her room with a curve in her spine.

Only to find the door unlocked.

Torrance and Wu were the only others with keys, and they were anal about locking up behind themselves.

Please, not a thief. Not now...

Within, a small body crouched by Blue's bed rummaged through her rucksack.

A tiny hobgoblin with a mane of dreadlocks.

Blue sighed, heavier this time.

I ain't got time for this shit.

"I don't remember ordering room service," she said, tiredly leaning against the doorjamb.

The gremlin whipped around, dreadlocks spinning like a tornado.

Their eyes shone bright with fear.

No, not fear. Surprise at being caught perhaps, but this creature had never met real terror.

This creature was a human child. A youngling no older than eleven.

They were one of Sir Beastie's pages, the one most eager to shine his gauntlets and order their fellow pages around.

Ziyad was their name.

Dark as a cherry with eyes to match.

"Squire Squanklah. Ass Backwards Blue."

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Blue pinched her nose and huffed. "Nevermind. What're you doing in my room?"

Ziyad blinked, thinking up a lie. "...Inspections. Checking cleanliness in the Squire quarters."

"By who's orders?"

"...Sir Pilar?"

"Right. Sure they are. What's that behind your back?"

Ziyad's eyes narrowed to razor slits.

"Air."

"Bullshit. Your hands. Lemme see them."

When the page refused Blue loomed until her shadow swallowed them whole.